These articles argue for the value of advance planning, describe tools for that purpose, explain how to initiate advance planning conversations, and indicate who should be involved in this care. Because this is a very important subject, the ChiPPS E-Journal Workgroup has decided to devote two issues to these discussions - this is the first of the two issues.

Workgroup editors commented, "We appreciate that no two issues or collections of articles will do justice to these broad topics, but we hope that the articles in this issue and in the one to follow will spur discussion and implementation of advance planning as a cooperative enterprise with children, adolescents, their family members, and the professionals involved in their care."

Visit the ChiPPS archive page online for past editions of the ChiPPS E-Journal and E-Newsletter

Thursday, February 12, 2015

As Americans celebrate Black
History Month, hospice professionals acknowledge that hospice utilization
within African American communities is disproportionately low. To help address this disparity in end-of-life
care, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has created a
Diversity Advisory Council – a group of hospice and healthcare professionals
and experts who will work to increase access to hospiceand palliative care services.Researchers have tackled this
disparity, to identify why such underutilization of hospice exists.Studies have concluded that many African
Americans are distrustful of the government and the healthcare system, a
distrust that is rooted in both historical and present day experiences, and may
play a role in the decisions families make when facing the challenges of a
life-limiting illness.

“Of all patients utilizing hospice
in 2013, approximately 8.4% were identified as black or African American,” says
NHPCO Senior Vice President of Education, Access, and Philanthropy, Diane Hill
Taylor.“With guidance from the
Diversity Advisory Council, we will build a strong initiative to ensure that
we’re reaching all those who need hospice care.”

To support the work of hospice
providers, a newly-revised version of NHPCO’sAfrican American Outreach Guide
is now available online, free of charge. The Guide outlines key principles and
insights to help hospices better serve this diverse community.

The council will assist with the
development of additional resources and tools related to serving diverse
populations.The group will offer
recommendations and educational content to NHPCO members who are seeking to connect
with diverse populations in the communities they serve. (Read NHPCO's full press release online.)

Thursday, January 22, 2015

NHPCO will be offering a webinar on February 12 that will explore the benefits of palliative care in supporting patients and families living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Since January of 2011, ten-thousand Baby Boomers have been turning 65 every day. This "Silver Tsunami" of 79 million aging Americans will continue until 2030. By then, 18% of the US population will be over age 65, an increase from 13% in 2010. With this sharp increase in the number of older Americans, we will see dramatically more patients with chronic debilitating illnesses, including Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

The prevalence of Alzheimer's dementia in the US population is expected to triple by 2050 and has been called the "great health crisis of the 21st century". Palliative care has much to offer these patients and families.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Be Part of CTC 2015! Are you committed to
expanding care in diverse settings to diverse populations? How about improving
the function and practice of interdisciplinary teams? Or enhancing the quality
of evidence-based, ethical, effective and efficient care at the end of life?

If you are, plan to join innovators, visionaries, dedicated
practitioners and all committed to the continued development and expansion of
hospice and palliative care as faculty for NHPCO’s 16th Clinical
Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive (CTC).

The CTC Call for
Proposals is open and available to receive your great ideas for
education sessions; the deadline for proposals is February 17, 2015.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Research published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine finds that home-based palliative care programs may achieve cost savings while helping provide care across the continuum.

Researchers led by Christopher W. Kerr, MD, PhD, examined the impact of a home-based palliative care program that was offered through a partnership between a hospice and a private nonprofit commercial insurance payer in western New York stateThe findings are reported in an article, "Cost Savings and Enhanced Hospice Enrollment with a Home-Based Palliative Care Program Implemented as a Hospice–Private Payer Partnership," published in the new edition of the Journal of Palliative Medicine (Volume 17, Number 12, 2014).

The most significant savings were found in the final three months of life where cost savings for those who utilized the available home-based palliative care services was $6,804 per member per month. Hospital admissions and specialty visits were significantly lower than in the control group. Additionally, researchers found that hospice access was enhanced (70% versus 25%) and longer length of stay in hospice were observed.

Researchers wrote, "Collectively, these findings demonstrate the significant potential of a home-based palliative care program to achieve the Institute of Healthcare Improvement's Triple Aims goals of lower costs, higher quality, and improved satisfaction."Access the article abstract online - a link to the full article is available.

Monday, November 3, 2014

In
honor of National Hospice & Palliative Care Month 2014, NHPCO will be
encouraging member organizations, hospice professionals, and the general public
to participate in a nationwide social media push entitled: “Take a
Moment. Make a Moment.” on Friday, November 7, 2014.

Why you should participate in “Take a Moment. Make a Moment.”Social media is more prevalent than ever and NHPCO wants to help
member organizations experience the benefits by getting involved online. "Take
a Moment. Make a Moment." is designed so that hospice providers of any
size can participate. On Friday, November 7, NHPCO and all participating
organizations/professionals will post photos of special moments made possible
by hospice and palliative care. By using compelling photographs and uniform
messaging, the hospice community will be able to draw attention to National
Hospice & Palliative Care Month and the hospice community as a whole.

Benefits of ParticipatingNHPCO is offering some wonderful incentives for member
organizations to participate on November 7. Organizations who contribute
to “Take a Moment. Make a Moment.” will receive:

• An online “Moments of Life” Participant Badge.
Participating organizations will be given access to an online icon that can be
used on your website to signify your involvement in this national campaign.

• A unique web page on momentoflife.org. The Moments
of Life: Made Possible by Hospice website is viewed by
thousands of individuals each month. Organizations who participate in “Take a
Moment. Make a Moment.” will be given a unique web page in the Share Your Story Photo Gallery Section of the
website. On this unique web page, NHPCO will include a hyperlink to your
organization which will enhance web presence. In addition, organizations can
use their unique webpage as an effective online promotional tool.

We hope that you will join
NHPCO on Friday, November 7 for “Take a Moment. Make a Moment.” By participating, you will
be helping to spread awareness about hospice & palliative care and will
also receive online assets that will demonstrate your organization’s
involvement with hospice & palliative care on a national level.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The National
Hospice and Palliative Care Organization recognized four outstanding volunteers
at the organization’s 15th Clinical Team Conference held in
Nashville, Tennessee.The Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice
Awards recognizes hospice volunteers who best reflect the universal
concept of volunteerism in its truest sense—serving as an inspiration to
others.This year’s recipients and the area for
which they were honored are:Clarence
Smith, a volunteer with Beacon
Hospice, an Amedisys company, in South Portland, Maine, for patient and family
support.He is a Korean War veteran who
is actively involved in Beacon’s We Honor
Veterans program, has volunteered since 2007 and has logged approximately
1,200 hours in patient visits.Elizabeth
“Betty” Takes, a volunteer with
Hospice of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, for organizational support. She has
dedicated over 30 years of her life to Hospice of Dubuque both professionally
as a nurse and personally as a volunteer and board of directors member.Margi
Miller,a volunteer with Tidewell Hospice in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, for specialized
volunteer support.She uses her musical
and artistic talent to help patients and families and has provided over 1,000
hours of service.Katharine
Foster, a volunteer with
BJC Hospice in St. Louis, Missouri, for young leader support.She is a pre-med student who began
volunteering in 2012.Since then she has
logged 200 hours of direct patient contact.Volunteers play an integral role in hospice care and each and every one
deserves recognition and the highest accolades.From direct patient support and caregiver relief to administrative
support in a local hospice office, hospice volunteers selflessly give of their
time to serve patients and families who are facing end-of-life challenges,”
said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO.NHPCO reports
that there are more than 355,000 trained hospice volunteers contributing more
than 16 million hours of service to hospice organizations across the country.

About Us

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is the oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end-of-life care and expanding access to hospice and palliative care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones. NHPCO also works closely with other organizations that share an interest in end of life care.